Machines or devices are generally known to cut a label from a continuous roll of label material and to apply the cut label to an object. There are known devices that apply labels from lined label material and other known devices that apply labels utilizing linerless label material. Examples of both types of machines or devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,503,702, 5,922,169 and 5,783,032, each of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Known devices that are designed for use with labels that are carried on a substrate, liner or other backing material. These lined labels have a removable adhesive applied to one side of the label. Lined labels must be “converted” before the labels may be used in the known devices. Converting includes combining the label material with a liner material, die cutting the labels from the blank label material and removing the excess label material from the liner material.
The “converting” steps may be eliminated by using linerless labels, i.e., labels that are not carried on a substrate. Eliminating the conversion steps reduces the cost of the labels by reducing the number of production steps involved in creating the labels, as well as reducing the waste material created by the labels through the elimination of the die cut waste and unnecessary liner material.
Known devices that apply linerless labels to objects are relatively slow and therefore the applications with which such machines, and therefore linerless labels, can be used are limited. For example, the maximum cycle rate of known devices that apply linerless labels to objects is limited by the vacuum paddle actuation and return time. Successive cycles can not begin until the previous cycle is completed and the paddle returns to the rest position. A need exists, therefore, for a device that can apply linerless labels to objects at high speeds. For example, a need exists for a device that can apply permanent and repositionable adhesive labels onto letters and flat mailpieces. Additionally, there is a need to apply such labels to other objects, such as parcels, packages and newspapers.